We’re Getting Pumped for Pink! #GirlPower

August means back-to-school time but many aren’t looking forward to going back. Middle school and high school can be tough times for tweens and teens – especially girls who feel like they have to look like the next Kim Kardashian or Beyonce’ in order to get noticed.

“Social media has put added pressure on girls to look like a superstar all the time and this makes them feel very insecure about their own looks. Girls look at their Instagram or Facebook accounts and begin to feel bad about their hair, weight, complexion or whatever. This constant comparison of their looks with other girls is causing many psychological and emotional problems – at alarming rates. No one is perfect and the real issue is not what a person looks like on the outside, but how they feel about themselves inside,” said Loretta A. Morman, a Southfield-based licensed therapist who counsels teenagers and pre-teens.

“Hello: My Name Is Beautiful” ($11.99, paperback, 9781629524856; $5.99, e-book, 9781629524863) is the new book by Morman, who is passionate and adamant about helping girls feel beautiful inside and out. Morman will deliver material from the book at Pink Pump, the popular boutique located at 309 S. Main Street in Royal Oak. The event will take place on Saturday, August 23 from 1 to 4pm. Any girl from 10 to 18 and their parents can register for this free workshop at http://lorettaamorman.eventbrite.com and have an opportunity to purchase the book, get it signed, plus get the new Hello My Name is Beautiful journals and T-shirts. There will be pink cupcakes and sparkling pink lemonade for all.

“I remember what it was like trying to fit in and especially how awkward I felt in middle school. I think it’s especially important that girls of color feel good about their weight, hair and not get hung up on buying designer labels that may be out of the family budget. Those things can really damage self-esteem and self-worth,” said Morman, 27, who graduated in 2005 from Mercy High School, a high school for girls in Farmington Hills. She now holds a bachelor’s degree in pyschology from Michigan State University and a Master’s degree in Social Work (MSW) from The University of Chicago.

Morman is planning this to be an interactive workshop with games, prizes and a “pink carpet” photo session with the girls – complete with fashion and makeup tips. “My main goal is to inspire the girls and address any issues that they may face but are often afraid to talk about,” said Morman. “I want our next generation of girls, especially girls of color, to live a life beyond the norm, and become the women that God wants them to be,” she said.